Moving-picture machine.



T. H. BLAIR.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IULY3.1913.

Patented June 27, 1916.

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MOV TURE MACHINE.

APPLl lLED JULY3.1913.

Patented June 27, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT (5FFICE.

THOMAS H. BLAIR, 0F NOR-THBORO, MASSACHUSETTS.

MOVING-PICTURE MACHINE.

Application filed July 3, 1913.

To (ZZZ "whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnjoluns H. BLAIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Northboro, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Moving-Picture Machines, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

l\Iy invention relates to moving picture machines and more particularly to a motion picture machine including an improved form of mechanism for interposing differently colored transparent screens successively in the path of the light while the pictures are being projected.

In the operation of motion picture machines, as is well known, a transparent photographic film containing a large number of small images or pictures representing a moving object or scene at successive periods of time is passed through the machine be tween the source of light and a lens. A moving picture machine of the class to which the present invention belongs includes a plurality of differently colored screens or a screen having a plurality of differently colored sections movable successively into and out of the path of the light passing through the film so that the projected picture may appear substantially in its natural colors. In practice a screen hav ing a red section and a green section is common, these being the colors which give the most desirable effect. A film designed for use in such a machine has the first picture thereon and every alternate picture thereafter opaque or semi-opaque throughout the portions thereof upon which are represented objects, or parts of a scene which it is desired should appear in one of the colors of the color screen. The remaining portions of these alternate pictures appearing upon the film have the proper normal intensity of the film so as to allow the light to pass therethrough. The movement of the color screen or screens is such as to interpose the proper color in the path of the light while these alternate pictures upon the film are being projected. The remaining pictures upon the film have those portions opaque or semi-opaque which were normal in the first mentioned alternate pictures and those portions normal which were opaque or semi-opaque in the first mentioned alternate pictures. The other difi'erently col- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1916.

Serial No. 777,198.

interposed in the path of the light in register with the proper picture on the film and not in register with those pictures designed to receive light through the other portion of the screen. In practice, it is often found that the pictures on the film, as the film is being passed through the machine, are not in proper register with the corresponding portions of the color screen; and, in case it is found after the film has been started that the pictures do not register properly with the respective portions of the color screen, it is then necessary to stop the machine and readjust the position of the color screen or else readjust the position of the film relatively thereto.

One object of the invention is to overcome this objection by providing means for quickly reversing or adjusting the relative positions of the differently colored portions of the color screen either while the machine is at rest or while the machine and the film are in motion and the pictures are being projected.

It frequently happens that it is desired to project a portion of the pictures of a film in colors and other portions thereof, as usual, in black and white, or vice versa.

Another object of the invention, therefore, is to provide mechanism for operating the color screen, so constructed that the screen may be quickly moved into and out of the path of the light either while the machine is at rest or while it is in motion and a motion picture is being projected.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a plan view of a moving picture machine constructed in accordance with my invention, the color screen being shown in operative position; Fig. 2 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but with the color screen shown in inoperative posiport ot certain of the mechanism for isnparting intermittent motion to the f lm This film operating mechanism, however terms no part of the present invention Elli-(- escription are, thereits illustration and i fore, not deemed ne It main driving s art 1 rovided crank 3 and a handle l serves to actuate various moving elements of the machi This driving shai is operativelv connected hv any suitable driving mechanisnn including the bevel e'ear with a second shaft (3 carrjving the shutter T at its to ward end. The shutter 'T is secured to the shatt (S by a set screw 8 so that it may be adjusted about the shaft to reg ter properly with the pictures on the him. The rear end of the shatt- 6 carries a small )inion 9 in mesh with a near whee l0 rot tahl v l upon a lined pivot or stud 11 para lel vi the shalt 6. flit near late 1 one end a plane at ric '1' 1 l r of. Secured t this plzte 12 is a heal-rig 13 in which turns a short shaft ll, tie shalt ll being formed with shoulders on opposite sides of its hea 'ing' to prevent longitudinal. displacement thereo'l. l second-small pinion 15 is carried upon the inner end of the shaft 11;. this pinion 15 being of the same size and ha .JQ' the same number of teeth as the pinion The distance le tween the axes of the stud 11 and the shat to the distance he ween the axes or L 7,

11 and the shaft 6 so that the pinion 1' meshes with the gear wheel 1: in whateve position it may he c rotation oi" the plate 12 about the stud 11. The face of the idle gear wheel 1G is broad enough to en eagle the faces of hoth the piniors f) and 15 so that, as the shaft 6 is rotated hv the maii driving shaft 2. it will oriv" the shutter '7 and the shaft ll at the same n fixed stop 16 secured to the casing 1 serves to limit the motion of the plr I n one direction ahout its sugmorti. c stud "1 so that. when the lower edge of the plate 12 is brought firmly against the stop 16. the shatts 6 and 1-1- will he exactly in aline ment. With the plate 12 in this position, therefore, tlIGCll QC -J is the same as though the shafts 6 and Liwere joined into one integral shaft.

The end of the plate 12 opposite the stud 11 carries a rigid offset arm 17 to which the center of the lUfQl 18 is "oivotally atbolt 10. 'il

tachcd h a re outer or rear cud of 'he shat t Llis surrounded hv a sleeve provided with a peripheral groove 21 which receives a U-shaped member 22 having pins or projections extending in a line through the axis; of sleeve 3 and at right angles to the adjacent or inner arm ot the lei'er '33. This inner arm ol the lever 15 is J-rlianed and extends on hoth sides of the sleeve 2i), each oi its terminals being; slotted to engage one of the pins or )roje tions 22'}. o" l l The outer end i: r-Xtenued into a handle Q-l. lever it ahout its pivot 11 the moved longitudinall" upon the it is ohvions that this lon 'fii ot the sleeve 20 may be im] r while the shaft 1 rotated, the Sick heing' "tree to turn :t all tini s in tl e U shaped me1nl; er 232 w iich can; k 1 i and determines longitudinal position. The ovided with screw threads 23 c ifiiperat-ine' screw threads init even ve 2t) '20 so that, as the sleeve '20 'itudinallv on the shaft it by will be given also a definite rotative motion rela' The outer end of provided with :1 Qt) and and a spring 'ried hv the outer arm oi s one or the other of the sleeve 2 in one or reme positions. The 23 on the shaft ll and de the slew c i om one to the extreme positions determined 1 r en it is moved other ot its l)=' the notches 2 ldounted upon tiie sleeve $20 is a color screen 2th the plane of this color screen heing right angles to the axis o'l the slceve 20 and, therefore parallel to the plane of the shutter 7 and, when the plate 12 's in en gagement with the stop 16. the axes of the shutter 7 and the color screen 29 coincide. The color screen 29 is divided into direrentlv colored sections and. indicated in Fig. a common at d desi 'ahle arrai'igement of such sections is provided h making one half the color screen green and the other half red. Transparent colored celluloid may he used in the colored sections o l the screen and the frame of the screen mav he constructed of a pair of skeleton plates l)e tween which the colored sections may he clamped by small bolts 30, as shown. The sleeve 20 has a series of longitudinal grooves 31 for engagement by the set screw of the color screen 29 so that the color screen may be adjusted about the sleeve and cured rigidl thereto in adjusted position.

"B3 means of the described construction it is now clear that the color screen will rotate with the shutter 7 and at the same speed and that, if the colored sections of the color screen are reversed with relation to the pictures upon the film as it passes through the machine, the color screen may be rotated by the lever 18 through one half a complete revolution relatively to the shaft Li and, therefore, to the shutter 7 and the pictures upon the film so as to bring it into proper registration and COii}')Ol'ittlO11 with the pictures upon the film. The path of the film, of course, passes through the space between the shutter 7 and the color screen 29, an opening 33 being provided through the casing to permit the light to pass through the color screen, the pictures on the film and the openings in the shutter 7.

As has been already stated, it is sometimes desirable to discontinue the use of the color screen or to place it in service after the machine has been in operation without it. In attaining this object, the plate 12 carrying the shaft 14 and the color screen 29 is rotated about its supporting stud 11 to carry the color screen either into or out of the path of the light. A second stop 34, secured to the casing 1, serves to hold the plate 12 with the color screen 29 in convenient position out of the path of the light, as shown in Fig. 2. Rotation of the plate 12 in either direction may be of fected by means of the handle 24: of the lever 18. The stop 16 is formed with a narrow notch 35 to receive the lower edge of the plate 12 as it approaches this stop, the width of the notch being such as to have binding engagement with the plate and thus hold it by friction firmly against its seat on the stop in the position shown in Figs. 1 and at. Rotation of the plate 12 takes place about the axis of the stud 11 and, there fore, about the axis of the gear wheel 10 so that, as the plate rotates, the pinion 15 merely rolls along the periphery of the gear wheel. Therefore, the plate 12 may be rotated to carry the color screen out of the path of the light and then reversely rotate it to carry the color screen back into the path of the light, the color screen being brought back into the same registration with. the shutter 7 and with the pictures on the film at the end of these movements as it had at the beginning.

\Vhile I have shown and described the details of one form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to such details as certain changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; but

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable shutter, a color screen rotatable in synchronism with said shutter and disposed in normal operative position in axial alinement therewith, and means for moving said color screen out of axial alinement vith said shutter.

In a machine of the class described, a color screen, means for rotating said screen, and means for bodily shifting said screen in a plane atan angle to its axis of rotation to carry it into inoperative position with respect to the shutter of the machine.

In a machine of the class described, a shaft, acolor screen mounted upon the shaft, a support for the shaft and screen, and means for driving the shaft and screen, the support being adjustably mounted to allow the color screen to be moved into and out of the path of the light, substantially as described.

41-. In a machine of the class described, a shutter, a pinion rotatable with the shutter, an idle gear wheel in mesh with said pinion, a shaft parallel with the axis of the pinion, a second pinion on the shaft and in mesh with the gear wheel, and a color screen mounted on the shaft, the shaft being mounted to revolve about the axis of the gear wheel to carry the color screen into and out of the path of the light.

5. In a machine of the class described, a shutter, a pinion rotatable with the shutter, a .haft carrying a color screen and a second pinion, a gear connection between the two pinions, and a support for the shaft, the support being adjustable to carry the color screen into and out of the path of the light.

6. In a machine of the class described, a shutter, a pinion rotatable with the shutter, a shaft parallel with the axis of the pinion and carrying a color screen and a second pinion, a gear connection between the two pinions, a support for the shaft, the support being adjustable to carry the color screen into and out of the path of the light, and a stop to hold the axes of the shaft and the first mentioned pinion in alinement.

7. In a machine of the class described, a shutter, a pinion rotatable with the shutter, a shaft normally in alinement with the axis of the pinion, an operative connection between the pinion and the shaft, acolor screen mounted on the shaft. and an adjustable support for the shaft to carry it out of alinenient with the pinion.

8. In a machine of the class described, a shaft. shutter carried by said shaft, a second shaft in alinement with said first shaft, a geared connection between said shafts, a sleeve inclosinn said second shaft, a color screen mounted on said sleeve, means for imparting the motion of said second shaft to said sleeve, and means for rotatively adjusting said sleeve on said second shaft.

9. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable color screen comprising sections of different colors, means for moving a film past said screen in synchronisin with the revolutions of the screen, and means tor causing a predetermined relative angular niovenicnt lICtV-QGII said screen and its axis of rotation during the operation of the machine in order to interchange the position of the s reral color sections with relation to the sure ire images on the fihn.

10. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable shutter having a plurality of apertures, a color screen comprising sections of different colors, rotatable in synchronisin With said shutter, and means for causing a predetermined relative angular nio'veincnt hctween said shutter and said color screen during the operation of the machine, in order to interchange the positions of the several screen sections with respect to the apertures of the shutter.

11. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable color screen comprising two sections of independent color values, means for moving; a fihn past said screen in synchronisin with the revolutions of said screen, the images on said filin having alternate independent color Values corresponding to the color values of the two color screen sections, and means :tor causing a predeternnned l'QlfltlYO angular movement between said screen and its axis of rotation during the operation of the machine, in order to interchange the positions or the screen sections \Tltll relation to tne successive nnages on the p nan.

12. In a machine of the class described, a color screen supported thereby. means for rotating; the color screen relatively to the shaitt, and means 101' moving the shatt to carry the color screen into and out ot the path ot the light.

13. .ln :1 machine of the class described, a shaft, a color scree supported on said shaft, a PIYOtOd support tor said shaft, means for lnniting the movement of said support on its pivot, means for rotativcly aujusting said color screen on said shaft, and means carried by said pivoted support for locking the color screen in its adjusted position.

THOMAS El. BLAIR. Witnesses PENELOPE Connnnmon, NnLmn i l IYALEN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

